Roommates are often expected to share many things: televisions, pots and pans, even girlfriends. Today, we salute Brad Higar and Kevin Harris as this week’s WilliamPaid Roommates Who Rock. Why? Because their sharing went above and beyond: Higar donated a kidney to Harris.
Higar and Harris became roommates during their college days at University of Wisconsin – Stout. As often happens, after graduation, they followed different career paths and moved to different, though not distant, cities. Nonetheless, Higar and Harris stayed in touch, standing up in each other’s wedding and sharing a common love of bicycling.
Several years later, Harris was diagnosed with acute kidney failure. “We were told that his kidneys were literally shriveling up and shutting down,” said Harris’s wife, Kate.
Harris was placed on a waiting list for a new kidney, undergoing dialysis to stay alive. No one in his family could donate because of a variety of health issues. Because Harris is African-American, he was told that his wait could be up to five years as there are fewer Black donors.
When Higar heard about Harris’s need, he volunteered his kidney. Although Harris explained that the likelihood of a match would be low because of the general incompatibility across races, Higar was eager to start testing. The testing included not only physical testing but psychological testing and counseling. One issue was making sure that there was a strong emotional bond, including ensuring that the donation was for the right reason.
There was one condition to Higar’s donation, though. If it was found that he was compatible, he would donate the kidney only if Harris would assure him that he would be treated no differently than before – just roommates and friends. “I didn’t want the friendship to change.”
Higar’s kidney was a match. The transplant was successful, and the two have picked up where they never left off.
So, this week, WilliamPaid salutes both Kevin Higar and Brad Harris. When you find a good roommate, you are roommates forever.
In honor of these two roommates, we want to remind you that this is a great time of year to consider giving the gift of life. It may not be a kidney, but consider donating blood during this holiday season. Also, take a look at your driver’s license - are you an organ donor? These are simple ways to both honor those that we care about and give a gift that can’t be wrapped in a pretty bow.
StumbleUpon
twitter
reddit
great post as usual .. thanks .. you just gave me a few more ideas to play with